Our exciting and highly stimulating Forensic Psychology course will equip you for a future career in various roles within the wider criminal justice system.  The course is not solely focussing on individuals and the reasons behind the crime but also examines how the various social and psychological factors have an impact on lives and, in turn, offending behaviour.
Building from the broad grounding we’ll give you in basic psychology, you’ll specialise in evaluating the dynamic interplay between psychological and social factors that might affect offending behaviour, consider the evidence base in the area alongside individual pathways and lived experience. You will also develop a deeper understanding of the processes involved in the Criminal Justice System.  

The course is designed to give students both a solid understanding of mainstream Psychology and a more detailed understanding of Forensic Psychology theory, research and practice. You will be encouraged to critically engage with academic material, evaluate its applications and develop an understanding of individual pathways and issues related to research and practice in secure settings. Understanding both evidence and the experience of those who have committed a crime will assist you in the development of your own critical approach to professional practice and research in forensic psychology.

A degree in forensic psychology will help you build a career in organisations such as the Prison Service, the Probation, Youth Offending teams, substance use and secure mental health services.

It will also put you in a good position to apply for the specialised postgraduate training needed to become a practising forensic psychologist.

We offer dual delivery which combines traditional on-campus face-to-face teaching and online teaching simultaneously, allowing you to interact as if you were there in person. You can move smoothly between online and on campus teaching subject to your individual timetable (and health requirements). Students can interact and collaborate in person and online in any of these live-streamed sessions. Live-streamed sessions will also be recorded, so you can login when you want, playback and watch from the comfort of your home and whilst on the go. Lab, rehearsal and practical on campus sessions are scheduled in blocks with online options.

When not attending timetabled lectures you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and Moodle.

Students are supported with any academic or subject related queries by an Academic Advisor, module leaders, former and current UEL students.

If you need a bit of extra help with certain skills such as academic writing, maths or IT, our Skillzone and English for Academic Purposes we offer workshops, drop-in sessions and one-to-one appointments to help our students achieve their potential. You can receive advice and guidance on all aspects of the IT systems provided by the university from our IT Service Desks located on all three campuses.
Our Student Support hubs in Docklands and Stratford feature centralised helpdesks to cater for your every need. UEL provides also support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs).

Your overall workload consists of class and online tutor led sessions, individual learning, practical activities. The size of classes can vary depending on the nature of the course, module and activity. This can range from large groups in a lecture theatre setting, to smaller groups taking part in seminars and collaborative work. You will receive your personalised timetable at the beginning of the academic year dependent on your course.

Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally attracts 20 –25 students a year. Lecture sizes are normally 20 plus students.
In the seminars you will be taught in smaller groups of students. However, this can vary by academic year.

The fantastic thing about a psychology degree is that as well as going into professional psychology - the skills and knowledge it gives you means you can work practically anywhere.

Our degree and teaching will give you the skills and experience in data management, data analysis, report writing, and critical and creative thinking. These are all skills that are now in the top 10 of modern employer's requirements for graduates - so the fact you will have these skills and experience means you're a step ahead and well placed for graduate employment.

The forensic psychology programme will provide additional skills required for you to progress in this area. Many of our graduates are involved in research or practice in secure settings, forensic mental health services, victim support and various services that address the needs of populations involved within the criminal justice system such as substance use, sexual offending, domestic violence and knife crime.